''Neither APC Or PDP Can Take Nigeria To The Promised Land'' - Senator Shehu Sani

   Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Senate says there is a need for the emergence of a new political party, peopled mainly by the intellectuals, the working class and the youths, which will take Nigeria to the Promised Land. This according to him, had become the only option for the country because none of the existing major political parties in the country could do the job.

   Senator Sani, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, said the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari, around which the APC built its government was not enough to govern a plural country like Nigeria. According to him, integrity is just a small fraction of what is needed to lead a country like Nigeria, stressing also that “fighting corruption cannot be the only objective or the idea and only focus of a government.” Sani was one of the guest speakers at a symposium organised on Thursday by the Magodo Associates.

   The symposium with the theme, “Nigeria: Which way forward?” held at the Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos and had Prof. Akin Oyebode as the chairman. Sani said while Buhari demonstrated his integrity by declaring his assets, many of the people in his government could not do the same. “What we have here is one man whose major asset is integrity but how many within that camp can also beat their chests and say they are as credible as he is?

   “We are talking about building a nation and moving it forward, but can just the integrity of the President move the nation to the Promised Land? When we are talking about the qualities of leadership, if only integrity and credibility is what you need to be in public office… integrity or credibility is just one of so many things a leader needs, especially in a troublesome country like Nigeria; there as lot of things a leader needs.

    We need a leader that can give every person the confidence that he is going to be fair and just. We also need a leader who is visionary, who can move the country from where it is to where it should be,” Sani said. He charged the people in the academia not be afraid of participating in politics, saying it was the only way forward.

   He said, “The intellectuals need to move forward; you need not be scared of the political terrain. Most people you see in political offices, outside they say they are representing the people, but they represent an individual, a certain power broker. The existing dominant political parties cannot lead us to the Promised Land; there is a need for a progressive political class to come together, reach out to the academics, the intelligentsia, the working class, come out together with a party that is run on a certain ideology.”

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